ARC+ fleet sets sail for Saint Lucia

by World Cruising Club on 21 Nov 2014 The ARC+ fleet got underway in good conditions on November 19th as they set out on Leg 2 of the ARC+ from São Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands to Saint Lucia. Conditions at the start were excellent with a NE wind of around 10 knots blowing across the start line. The port of Mindelo is in a basin however and frequent gusts from the mountain made for a lively start as the multihulls cross the line at 1245 and the monohulls at 1300 hours local.

Both starts were very competitive. The first catamaran across the line, at the northern end, was the Lagoon 38 Purrrfect, owned by Linda and David Witham with brother Paul. They were quickly followed by the Catana 50, Alia Vita, owned by Rob and Frances Lythgoe and the Fountaine Pajot Victoria 67, Lir, skippered by Chris Stollery.

First across in the monohull Cruising Division was the Hallberg Rassy 37 Shira followed in the centre of the line by Eleonora2, Zera and GarliX. All the other boats followed in quick succession and the start line was all clear with 10 minutes. The last boat across the line was the Herreshoff 50 Vellela, crewed by Alessia Donatsch and Peter Lindauer but they did it in style with all sails nicely set and seemingly already in their routine for the next 2,100 nautical miles.

Shortly after leaving the start the yachts entered the channel with São Vicente to port-side and the mountainous Santo Antão to starboard. This sustained the lively wind conditions as the fleet headed off to the west. Lutz Meyer-Scheel, co-owner of Marina Mindelo, watched the spectacle from the mountainside 'It was so impressive to see all those boats start; sailing around preparing for the start and then GO!, they’re off!'

The yachts are expected to make landfall in Saint Lucia from the end of November onwards. Their progress can be followed on the ARC Fleet Viewer by selecting ARC+ and by reading the logs which the boats write from sea.